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How To Download Torrent Files

UPDATE (October 5, 2015): I wrote a new related blog post on how to identify real vs. fake torrent files before downloading.

UPDATE (September 1, 2014): This blog post has been updated to include an example on how to download a specific torrent file related to the recent #Fappening phenomenon.

I had to think a bit before starting to write this post, because I still don't know how legal / illegal using this technology is. But people have been using it for years, and I firmly believe the technology itself is 100% legal, so here we go.

By now, most of you have heard of this word, "torrent". But not too many people have actually ever used it. So today I'm gonna show you guys how to set it up and use it, within minutes. And the reason I chose today is well, because it's the biggest day in the movie industry, the Oscars. And torrent is used a LOT during award season, due to the unusual number of DVD screeners that get circulated "for your consideration".

I won't go into details on what torrent is, but will focus on how to set it up really fast & use it using a few examples:

1) How to set up torrent: The first thing you have to do before anything else is download & install the software that actually does the downloading. The one that I use is called Vuze.

2) How to use torrent: There are literally a gazillion torrent websites. The best one out there is called The Pirate Bay. In the examples below, just make sure to download the torrent file (click on any of the red magnet images or the "GET THIS TORRENT" link) , and Vuze will automatically open it and start downloading the actual files. Yes, it's that simple. So now you're ready to start downloading torrent files.

When you look at the search results, you want to focus on the numbers under the column "SE" (which shows the number of seeders). As you can see from the screenshot below, you can rest assured that if a torrent has 39,689 people seeding, it's most likely a valid torrent.

Fappening Search Results

The next screenshot shows the actual page of the most popular Fappening torrent. The comments are useful to look at in detecting whether a torrent is real or fake. As you can see from below, the torrent is indeed real (or else more than enough people will say otherwise). Anyway, to download the actual torrent file, just click "GET THIS TORRENT", or the red magnet image right next to it, and Vuze should open it and start downloading the actual files (just one zip file in this case) immediately. Don't ever click on any other button, such as the "DOWNLOAD", "PLAY NOW" & "WATCH NOW" buttons that you see everywhere. These are advertisements, and can lead to links that give you viruses!

Fappening Torrent Page

Before you start downloading, you can also see the number & size of the actual files you will be downloading by clicking the number next to the field "Files", the result of which will show up right above the comments. As you can see from the screenshot below, you will be downloading a zipped file called The.Fappening.zip, which is 466.51 megabytes:

Actual Torrent Files

So after you click "GET THIS TORRENT", the next screenshot shows what should happen next as Vuze picks up the torrent file and tries to open it and start downloading the actual files (again, just one zip file in this case):

Vuze - Operation In Progress

The next screenshot shows what you will see just before Vuze starts downloading:

Fappening Before Download

The next screenshot shows what you will see when Vuze is downloading:

Fappening Downloading

The next screenshot shows what you will see just after Vuze is done downloading. Depending on the size of the files, this might take a few seconds to a few minutes while the program checks to make sure everything is downloaded correctly:

Fappening After Download - Seeding & Checking

The next screenshot shows what you will see when Vuze is completely done downloading:

Fappening Download Complete

And that's it!

Another good example of porn would be the infamous video of Melissa King. And how about Deep Throat, the movie that supposedly grossed $600 million at the box office and was the basis for a movie called Lovelace? They're all there.

B) How to download movies using torrent: Did you know that Zero Dark Thirty's DVD screener got leaked on 1/4? That's a full week before its release date of 1/11. This is the reality during the months leading to the Oscars, because they get circulated for award considerations. And multiple torrent versions will have already been released by the time a DVD gets released. But did you also know that you can also use torrent for downloading movies whose DVDs are out of print and thus extremely hard to find? Begotten's out-of-print DVD falls under this category.

C) How to download music using torrent: One of the best use cases for using torrent to download music is for radio shows. I'm talking about EDM (electronic dance music), specifically trance music (I'm a DJ). I exclusively listen to Armin van Buuren's A State of Trance, Tiesto's Club Life & John '00' Fleming's Global Trance Grooves. But they're live shows on radio & don't exist as CDs, so lots of people use torrent to download them.

D) How to download software using torrent: Some people download Microsoft Windows via torrent, and others download Rosetta Stone. They're retail versions all right, with the caveat being that you won't ever be able to run updates. I bought my own Windows, because my current day job enables me to buy the full version for just $15. As for Rosetta Stone, there is no way in hell that I'll pay what they're currently charging. I'm not gonna say that I downloaded it, but for those that can't afford it but really want to learn French, Spanish, etc., they're there.

So there you have it. Enjoy the Oscars tonight, and try downloading & watching a movie that is still playing in a theater near you and is not even close to being released as DVD. And if you feel bad about downloading movies, think about how much the theaters charge for popcorn & soda. They've raped us for years, so why not tell them to take their concession stands and shove it up their ass? Revenge is a dish best served cold.